1964 prophecy: Machines will eventually surpass humans as biological evolution ends
RichardSSutton · x · 2026-08-25
Reinforcement learning pioneer Richard Sutton shared a prophetic text from 1964. The passage asserts that the most intelligent inhabitants of the future will be machines, not men or monkeys. The author argues that while current 'electronic brains' are morons, in a generation they will start to think and eventually outthink their makers. The author does not find this depressing, comparing it to how humans superseded Cro-Magnon and Neanderthals, and viewing it as a privilege to be stepping stones to higher things. The text speculates that organic evolution has come to an end, marking the beginning of inorganic, mechanical evolution.
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